lundi 27 avril 2015

I don't often show photos from my own home here, but I had to take a few yesterday for another project - despite grey weather and no natural light (I really picked the right day...). Anyway, I thought I might as well share a pic with you too, so voilà, a corner of my livingroom!

vendredi 24 avril 2015

Our main sponsor for the London bloggers tour last month was at{mine}, an online community for home and design lovers filled with pictures of real homes shared by the members. The website is so far in beta mode, but feel free to join the community by using this link. You'll find a few of my photos there (more to come), but most of all lots of other beautiful interior pictures!

at{mine} had organised a full day for our blogger group in London, with the goal to experience the highlights of British design. One of the stops was at the very inspiring The New Craftsmen, located in Mayfair near Oxford Street.

The New Craftsmen was founded in 2012 with the goal to showcase some of Britain's finest craft makers. The New Craftsmen currently represents a network of over 75 makers working in textiles, silverware, furniture, ceramics, jewellery, glassware and beyond. A carefully selected range of products, limited editions and exclusive collaborations is presented and sold via their Mayfaire shop & online.

One of The New Craftsmen makers is Lola Ley (on the photo above), a Hanoi born, London based furniture and product designer. Click here to read Bungalow5's interview with Lola! It was very inspring listening to her talking about her work, and she also invited us to get crafty ourselves, making our own place mats through stitching and dying fabric, which was great fun :)

In the evening, we used our place mats to set the table for the dinner, which took place around the big wooden table at the back of the shop. Laid-back atmosphere, interesting discussions, lots of laughter and a delicious meal cooked by Nathalie, one the founders of The New Craftsmen.

At the dinner, we also had the pleasure of meeting with Gareth Neal, a British designer and furniture maker. He is also the man behind the Mindful Living exhibition which has been presented at the Mayfair store this last month (ending tomorrow so hurry if you're in London and haven't seen it yet!).
The New Craftsmen asked Garethto strip back his life to a set of 10 objects that could fulfil his needs both mentally and physically. The items were designed by Gareth and other makers of The New Craftsmen and presented in collaboration with The Bothy Project, a network of small-scale, off-grid art residency spaces in distinct and diverse locations around Scotland and beyond.Au diner, on a aussi eu le plaisir de rencontrer Gareth Neal, un designer et menuisier britannique. Il est aussi l'homme derrière l'exposition Mindful Living qui a été présentée ce dernier moi à la boutique de Mayfair (dernier jour demain alors si vous êtes à Londres, dépêchez-vous si vous ne l'avez pas vu!).The New Craftsmen a demandé à Gareth de réduire sa vie à un lot de 10 objets qui pouvaient lui suffire mentalement et physiquement. Les objets ont été créés par Gareth et d'autres artisans de The New Craftsmen et présenté en collaboration avec The Bothy Project, un réseau de petits espaces déconnectés pour créateurs, situés à différents endroits en Ecosse et ailleurs.

The next exhibition coming up at the New Craftsmen is "Made in Mayfair", which is part of the London Craft Week, a new annual event running from May 5th to June 13th, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship, through a journey-of-discovery programme featuring hidden workshops, celebrated makers, other lesser known makers and highly specialised skills alongside famous shops, galleries and luxuary brands.

mardi 21 avril 2015

Enjoying some nice real estate inspiration from Stadshem tonight... Home staging is a great thing, but why do all apartments have to look the same? These photos are from several different apartments but it could just as well be the same one. Personally I like this neutral white-grey-wood-black palette very much, but surely there must be other hues that are just as "commercial"? And variation is nice right?

vendredi 17 avril 2015

Spotted this great idea on Helena's blog today, where she has folded letters with paper sheets and created a cool and playful wall decoration for her kids. Or why not try black or coloured paper for a more graphic or bright look. All you need is a bunch of paper and some patience! You'll find all templates here. Happy weekend!